Packaging backing provided with means for stiffening the packaging and for distributing a pressure force

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a packaging backing ( 3 ) for packaging a sample product, said backing comprising a substantially thin plate made of a thermoformed material, the plate having a base face ( 5 ) and at least one recess ( 6 ) designed to receive the sample product ( 1 ), said recess presenting a height d and having an opening ( 7 ) provided in the base face ( 5 ), said plate also being provided with an array of projections ( 10 ) which extend from the base face ( 5 ), on the same side as the recess ( 6 ), said projections having a height substantially equal to d, so as to make it possible to distribute a pressure force exerted on the base face ( 5 ) of the plate. The invention also relates to a packaging assembly comprising such a packaging backing and a flexible film, and to an item of packaging comprising such an assembly and a sample product, as well as to a press publication in which an item of packaging is disposed, and to a set of press publications.

The invention relates to a packaging backing for packaging a sample product, to a sample product packaging assembly comprising such a packaging backing and a flexible film, and to an item of sample product packaging comprising such a packaging assembly and a sample product.

The invention also relates to a press publication having a plurality of pages and in which at least one item of sample product packaging is disposed between two pages, and to a set of stacked-up press publications.

The invention is particularly applicable to distributing sample products through the press. This practice is widespread because it makes it possible to achieve a distribution that is both wide, due to it being accessible for a large number of potential users, and also targeted, due to the press publication used being chosen appropriately, the chosen publication itself being intended for certain categories of reader.

For packaging a sample product, such a practice requires a sampler device satisfying thickness and stiffness constraints for preventing the device from being torn or deformed, and satisfying constraints in terms of resistance to a pressure force so as to prevent the device from bursting. In particular, the sampler device for distribution through the press must satisfy requirements imposed by a test consisting in applying a load of 1.5 metric tons to one face of the sampler device for six seconds.

It is known, in particular from Document WO 98/10917, that reinforced sampler devices exist, such a device including a seal associating a flexible upper layer and a rigid lower layer to form a recess that contains the sample product. In order to protect the recess, the device also includes a rigid reinforcement layer associated with the upper or the lower layer.

Unfortunately, such a sampler device raises a certain number of problems. Due to three layers being superposed, the device has a thickness that prevents it from being inserted into a press publication. In addition, the sampler device is complex to make because it requires the layers to be positioned with precision relative to one another in order to impart to the recess both the leaktightness and the protection that are necessary. In addition, the quantities of the various materials used to make the device suffer from ecological and economic drawbacks.

An object of the invention is to solve those problems by proposing a sample product packaging backing that is provided with means for stiffening the packaging and for distributing a pressure force.

To this end, and in a first aspect, the invention provides a packaging backing for packaging a sample product, said backing comprising a substantially thin plate made of a thermoformed material, the plate having a base face and at least one recess designed to receive the sample product, said recess presenting a height d and having an opening provided in the base face, the plate also being provided with an array of projections which extend from the base face, on the same side as the recess, said projections having a height substantially equal to d, so as to make it possible to distribute a pressure force exerted on the base face of the plate.

The invention makes it possible to obtain a backing that is thin, that is reinforced, in particular so as to withstand a pressure force on one of its faces, and that presents overall rigidity, while being of simple structure and being simple to manufacture.

In a particular embodiment, the base face has at least one substantially plane zone surrounding the recess, said zone forming a zone for securing to a flexible film for covering the opening of each recess removably.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a packaging assembly for packaging a sample product, said packaging assembly comprising a sample product packaging backing as in the first aspect, and a flexible film removably secured to a securing zone.

In a third aspect, the invention provides an item of sample product packaging comprising a sample product packaging assembly and a sample product disposed in the recess, said sample product being covered with the flexible film.

In a fourth aspect, the invention provides a press publication having a plurality of pages, in which at least one item of sample product packaging containing a sample product is disposed between two pages, said item of packaging being secured to one of said pages over the face opposite from the base face.

In a fifth aspect, the invention provides a set of press publications, said publications being superposed to form a stack.

Other objects and advantages of the invention appear from the following description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of an item of packaging for packaging a sample product, the item of packaging comprising a packaging backing and a flexible film, and being shown from the backing side, said backing being provided with an array of projections, and with a recess in which the sample product is disposed;

FIG. 2 is a view of the item of packaging of FIG. 1, seen from the flexible film side, said flexible film removably covering the opening of the recess;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the item of sample packaging of FIG. 1, seen from the backing side, showing a grasping zone in which the edge of the flexible film can be taken hold of;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the item of sample packaging of FIG. 1, seen from the flexible film side;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the item of sample packaging of FIG. 1, seen from the flexible film side, showing the flexible film partially detached so that the opening of the recess is partially uncovered;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section view on line VI-VI of the packaging backing of FIG. 1, the recess having an opening provided in a base face, the projections extending from the base face, on the same side as the recess and having a height substantially equal to the height of the recess;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a press publication in which the item of packaging of FIG. 1 is disposed transversely on a page of the press publication and secured to said page via the face opposite from the base face of the backing;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to the FIG. 7 view, with the item of packaging being disposed longitudinally on the page of the press publication; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to the FIG. 7 view, with the flexible film being partially detached.

An item of packaging for packaging a sample product is described below with reference to the figures. This item of packaging is particularly well suited to distributing cosmetics products 1 through the press, such products being in particular lipstick, foundation, or any other cosmetics product 1 in liquid, powder, milk, or gel form.

For this purpose, one or more items of packaging can, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, be disposed between two pages of a press publication 2 comprising a plurality of pages, such as a magazine, a journal, a catalogue, or the like. By an appropriate choice of the press publication 2, the manufacturer of the cosmetics product 1 can then obtain a more or less broadly targeted distribution of its product 1.

However, the item of packaging must be sufficiently strong and must present overall rigidity, in particular in order to prevent the packaging from being deformed or torn during handling of the press publication 2 or of the item of packaging itself.

In addition, prior to being distributed, the press publications 2 can be stored and transported in the form of sets or bundles in which the publications 2 are superposed so as to form stacks. The items of packaging can then be subjected to large pressure forces. Thus, in order to be inserted into a press publication 2, the item of packaging must satisfy the requirements imposed by a test consisting in applying a load of 1.5 metric tons to the item of packaging for six seconds.

For this purpose, the item of packaging comprises a packaging assembly comprising a packaging backing 3 for packaging the sample product 1 and a flexible film 4 secured to said backing 3. The packaging backing 3 comprises a generally thin rectangular plate of a thermoformed material. Such an implementation imparts a certain amount of resistance to deformation or to tearing to the packaging backing 3, and imparts a certain amount of overall rigidity.

The plate has a base face 5 and a recess 6 serving to receive the sample product 1 and having an opening 7 provided in the base face 5. The recess 6 is substantially circular in shape and has a height d, i.e. a dimension perpendicular to the base face 5, of the order of a few hundreds of microns. The plate can be made of transparent material so that the sample product 1 can be seen through the packaging backing 3.

The description is given for a packaging backing 3 provided with one recess 6. However, the backing 3 can be provided with a plurality of recesses 6.

The sample product 1 is disposed in the recess 6 and is covered with the flexible film 4. The flexible film 4 is then secured to the packaging backing 3 so as to cover the opening 7 of the recess 6 removably so that the sample product 1 can be accessed, e.g. by peeling off the flexible film 4.

In order to enable the flexible film 4 to be secured to the packaging backing 3, the base face 5 is provided with at least one substantially plane zone 8 surrounding the recess 6. In the figures, the base face has two zones 8 for securing to the flexible film 4, namely a continuous zone 8 a situated in the vicinity of the edge of the recess 6 and making it possible to seal the recess, and a zone 8 b situated in the vicinity of the edge of the plate.

In one embodiment, the flexible film 4 is heat-sealed to the securing zones 8. The sample product 1 is accessible after detaching the flexible film 4, e.g. by peeling it off. The assembly then has a grasping zone 9 in which the edge of the flexible film 4 can be taken hold of. In the figures, the grasping zone 9 is obtained by performing the heat-sealing 8 b over a portion only of the edge of the plate so as to leave a portion of free edge on the flexible film 4 that is not heat-sealed to the packaging backing 3.

In order to improve the overall rigidity of the packaging and in order to enable it to withstand a pressure force, the plate is also provided with an array of projections 10 that extend from the base face 5, on the same side as the recess 6. The projections 10 present a height substantially equal to d so as to enable a pressure force exerted on the base face 5 of the plate to be distributed.

The pressure force can be applied directly on the base face 5 or indirectly on the opposite face, the base face bearing on a surface, e.g. a page of the press publication 2. The projections 10 are organized into an array or grid, i.e. so that they jointly make it possible for the packaging backing 3 to withstand the pressure force by distributing it over the area of the plate, thereby preventing the recess 6 from bursting and preventing the sample product 1 from being lost.

In the embodiment shown, the array of projections 10 is substantially continuous and is made up of adjacent projections 10 disposed in a regular pattern around the recess 6. In order to facilitate disposing them and in order to limit the extent to which they are deformed while improving their individual strength and their individual rigidity, each of the projections 10 can have a base that is substantially polygonal and a top that is substantially parallel to the base face 5 or that is rounded. In particular examples, the array of projections 10 occupies in the range 40% of the total area of the packaging backing 3 to 70% of said total area, with a density lying in the range 20 projections per square centimeter (cm²) to 30 projections per cm².

In embodiments that are not shown, it is possible to make provision for the array to be non-uniform and to be made up of projections 10 disposed at determined locations of the packaging backing 3.

Such a packaging assembly can, for example, contain a volume of cosmetics product 1 lying in the range 0.01 milliliters (ml) to 0.2 ml. In addition, the shapes and the dimensions of the packaging assembly are adapted to it being disposed in a press publication. For example, the thickness can be of the order of one millimeter.

The packaging is secured removably or permanently to one of the pages of the press publication 2 on the face opposite from the base face 5. The tops of the projections 10 are thus secured to the page of press publication 2, and the pressure force, e.g. generated when the press publications 2 are stacked up, is exerted either on the bearing face 5 of the packaging backing 3 or on the tops of the projections 10.

In addition, the page can be an advertisement page fully are partially dedicated to the cosmetics product 1, and the flexible film 3 facing the user can be decorated so as to blend in with the page or else be made of a transparent material so as to enable the sample product 1 to be seen, and also so as to enable the page to be seen if the packaging backing 3 is itself made of a transparent material. In addition, the packaging backing 3 and/or the recess 6 can have a polygonal shape, a circular shape, or some other shape.

In order to use the sample, the user can either, as shown in FIG. 9, detach the flexile film 4, with the packaging backing 3 remaining secured to the page of the press publication 2, or detach the packaging and then detach the flexible film 4. 

1. A packaging backing (3) for packaging a sample product (1), said backing comprising a substantially thin plate made of a thermoformed material, the plate having a base face (5) and at least one recess (6) designed to receive the sample product (1), said recess presenting a height d and having an opening (7) provided in the base face (5), said packaging backing being characterized in that the plate is also provided with an array of projections (10) which extend from the base face (5), on the same side as the recess (6), said projections having a height substantially equal to d, so as to make it possible to distribute a pressure force exerted on the base face (5) of the plate.
 2. A packaging backing (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the height d is of the order of a few hundred microns.
 3. A packaging backing (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the array of projections (10) is made up of adjacent projections (10) disposed in a uniform pattern.
 4. A packaging backing (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the array of projections (10) occupies in the range 40% of the total area of the plate to 70% of said total area.
 5. A packaging backing (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the array of projections (10) has a density lying in the range 20 projections per cm² to 30 projections per cm².
 6. A packaging backing (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the each of the projections has a base that is substantially polygonal and a top that is substantially parallel to the base face (5) or that is rounded.
 7. A packaging backing (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the base face (5) has at least one substantially plane zone (8) surrounding the recess (6), said zone forming a zone for securing to a flexible film (4) for covering the opening (7) of the recess (6) removably.
 8. A packaging assembly for packaging a sample product (1), said packaging assembly comprising a packaging backing (3) according to claim 7 for packaging a sample product (1), and a flexible film (4) removably secured to a securing zone (8).
 9. A packaging assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the flexible film (4) is heat-sealed to the securing zone (8).
 10. A packaging assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that the base face has two securing zones (8), one of which zones (8 a) is continuous and is situated in the vicinity of the edge of the recess (6), the other zone (8 b) being situated in the vicinity of the edge of the plate.
 11. A packaging assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a grasping zone (9) for taking hold of the flexible film (4).
 12. A packaging assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that it presents a thickness of about one millimeter.
 13. An item of sample product packaging comprising a sample product packaging assembly according to any claim 8, and a sample product (1) disposed in the recess (6), said sample product being covered with the flexible film (4).
 14. A press publication (2) having a plurality of pages, in which at least one item of sample product packaging according to claim 13 and containing a sample product (1) is disposed between two pages, said item of packaging being secured to one of said pages over the face opposite from the base face (5).
 15. A set of press publications according to claim 14, said publications being superposed to form a stack.
 16. A packaging backing (3) according to claim 2, characterized in that the array of projections (10) is made up of adjacent projections (10) disposed in a uniform pattern.
 17. A packaging assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that the base face has two securing zones (8), one of which zones (8 a) is continuous and is situated in the vicinity of the edge of the recess (6), the other zone (8 b) being situated in the vicinity of the edge of the plate. 